An algorithm to identify surgical site infections saved nearly 600 hours of manual chart review, according to a study in Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology.
Researchers used electronic data from a clinical data warehouse to develop a partially automated SSI identification algorithm at Denver Health Medical Center from 2007 through 2010, and validate the algorithm from January through March 2011.
Sign up for our FREE E-Weekly for more coverage like this sent to your inbox!
One algorithm had 100 percent sensitivity and 85 percent specificity in the development phase, and 100 percent sensitivity and 88 percent specificity in the validation cohort. The algorithm included three variables: a positive culture from an included specimen type, the ICD-9-CM diagnosis code 998.59 (the code for "other postoperative infection") and an SSI-related treatment procedure.
The algorithm would have reduced manual review by 1,796 cases, translating to an estimated 599 hours of manual chart review.
More Articles on Surgical Site Infections:
Study: MRSA Colonized Patients Have 9-Fold Greater Risk of SSI
Study: 17% of Post-Surgery SSIs Reported at Nonoperative Hospitals
Study: Chlorhexidine Before Surgery Can Save $3B Annually
